Surf Air opens its network of private flights in California and Texas to more passengers

Private jet subscription service Surf Air is announcing a new membership package called Surf Air Express alongside Indiegogo, which allows for members to pay a smaller subscription for individual bookings on the company’s semi-private scheduled planes.

For a mere $2500 subscribers can get access to seats on the Surf Air planes or small jets for roughly $400 to $500 per seat.

That’s a discount from the company’s $4,000 all-you-can-fly monthly subscriptions.

When it launched five years ago, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based Surf Air pitched itself as a better way to fly for customers that were frequent travelers on routes throughout California and (eventually) Texas.

But Surf Air was a luxury problem for luxury people and was charging an (apparently unsustainable) luxury price.

Now to boost demand to the merely wealthy instead of the really rich, Surf Air is now offering tickets for individual flights rather than just at the all-you-can-fly rates. Seats will be offered up to subscribers to the company’s service at a flat rate of around $400 if flyers are willing to pay the annual fee of $2500.

Meanwhile, anyone will be able to book flights through Kayak and other services at what Surf Air chief executive Sudhin Shahani calls market rates (which can range anywhere from $600 to $1000).

Subscribers are also going to be eligible for other perks including no change or cancellation fees, access to member events, discounts at premium hotels and access to flights for special events, like music festivals games and conferences.

“Five years ago we cracked the code and changed aviation by offering a small group of monthly subscribers “all you can fly” memberships with a premium flight experiences to eliminate the hassles associated with commercial air travel,” said Shahani, in a statement. “Through Surf Air Express we’re continuing to upgrade the travel experience by opening up the Surf Air network to a completely new market of travelers who’ve long needed a more convenient and fun way to fly. It’s our vision that one day we’ll expand Surf Air to be accessible, with our flight operators, across the online travel booking websites and in every region around the globe where short-haul travel is broken, while still maintaining the quality and value of our membership-first business model.”

Surf Air has raised $92 million to date, according to CrunchBase from investors including Jared Leto, Sway Ventures, Mucker Capital and ff Venture Capital.

from www.tech-life.in